The corporate giant's decision was announced by the Civil War Trust, which long has fought Walmart's plans, and came as a trial was to begin in Virginia's Orange County Circuit Court into the legality of a special use permit given to Walmart for the project.

It was back in August 2009 that Orange County officials cleared the way for the 140,000-square-foot store on a 53-to-55-acre tract of land just north of the Wilderness Corner intersection in Orange, Virginia.

According to the National Park Service, the Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5-6, 1864, with troops under both Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee engaged. "It was the beginning of the Overland Campaign, the bloodiest campaign in American history and the turning point in the war in the Eastern Theatre," notes the agency.

“We are pleased with Walmart’s decision to abandon plans to build a supercenter on the Wilderness battlefield,” James Lighthizer, president of the Civil War Trust, said in a release this morning. “We have long believed that Walmart would ultimately recognize that it is in the best interests of all concerned to move their intended store away from the battlefield. We applaud Walmart officials for putting the interests of historic preservation first. Sam Walton would be proud of this decision.”

According to John Hennessy, chief historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, during the Civil War the land in question likely saw much troop and support movements and possibly contained various headquarters and field hospitals.

"In terms of the battle, the rear areas of armies were incredibly busy places. While we can't say with certainty what went on upon this parcel, we can say there were headquarters and hospitals surrounding the intersection, and wagon trains and herds of cattle passing through constantly," Mr. Hennessy said. "By battle's end, the Union line passed just north of the site, and so the site stood between the Union right flank and army headquarters near the intersection. There's no questioning the site was an integral part of the Union rear area."

At the National Parks Conservation Association, President Tom Kiernan praised Walmart's announcement.

“After months of intense debate and a legal challenge led by the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition, we are pleased with Walmart’s decision this morning to abandon its plans to build a Superstore on a privately-owned portion of the Wilderness Battlefield," Mr. Kiernan said.

“Pulitzer-Prize winning historian James McPherson has said that this site was in the nerve center of the Union Army during the battle of the Wilderness, which was as significant as the battle of Gettysburg. The battle resulted in one of the most decisive moments of the U.S. Civil War, involved more than 150,000 soldiers, and resulted in 30,000 casualties," he added. “Today’s decision is a victory for protecting our priceless historic landscapes that tell our shared story. All involved now have the opportunity to work together to preserve this site so that it remains compatible with the national park's meaning and character. As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Civil War, I urge Americans to work together to protect these sacred places for our children and grandchildren to experience and enjoy in the future.”

The Civil War Trust is part of the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition, an alliance of Virginia residents and national groups seeking to protect the Wilderness battlefield. Mr. Lighthizer noted that the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition has sought from the very beginning to work with county officials and Walmart to find an alternative location for the proposed superstore away from the battlefield.

“We stand ready to work with Walmart to put this controversy behind us and protect the battlefield from further encroachment,” he said. “We firmly believe that preservation and progress need not be mutually exclusive, and welcome Walmart as a thoughtful partner in efforts to protect the Wilderness Battlefield.”

Opposition to the supercenter was voiced by, among others, more than 250 American historians led by Pulitzer Prize-winners James McPherson and David McCullough, according to the trust.

One month after county officials voted in 2009 to allow the project to go forward, a legal challenge was mounted to overturn that decision. A judge presiding over the case was considering various pretrial motions when word came that Walmart was abandoning the project.

I don't believe that Walmart actually owns the land. I thought it was redevelopment land; does anyone know who owns it?

I doubt that the land itself is going to be donated. It sounds as if the county is eager to have it developed, although the scale seems to be the main issue. I saw video of the location, and there are already small strip malls, although not huge big box stores.

v_p_w's point about scale is an important one. The Walmart site is on 20 acres--some of it already developed-- of a proposed 1000 acre mixed use development north of VA3 and west of the Wilderness Run. With so much property involved it's puzzling why the effort by the parties involved to find a suitable alternative location was unsuccessful after a near three-year effort. Regardless, I am pleased to see a win for preservation, but I hope it was accomplished on the merits of saving a significant historic resource, and without the efforts of the Walmart haters and anti-development types. In this political and economic climate, the environmental movement and the NPS do not need associations with anti-capitalists and unhinged lefties.

The backstory tells us this proposal was favored by most locals; however, the "big box" approach was not a part of the comprehensive land use plan for the area. That fact accounted for the controversial SUP approved by the county supervisors board and the preservationist's legal responses. I think the current recession/depression will delay the entire Wilderness Crossing project for several years. Sooner or later, there will be other challenges to that 1000 acre landscape. We have an opportunity here and now to use this cooling off period to reassess, build better lines of understanding, and develop a model plan where preservation and development can coexist.